Local News – Wednesday, January 18th, 2023

An accident happened in Dent County Monday at 2:15 in the afternoon on Dent County Road 2330 about seven miles west of Salem. According to the highway patrol report, 65-year-old Robert Taylor of Salem was riding a 2019 Can Am Defender with a passenger, when he failed to negotiate a “U-Turn” as a high rate of speed causing Taylor and the passenger to be ejected from the Can Am. Taylor suffered moderate injuries and was transported to the Salem Memorial District Hospital by the Salem EMS. The passenger was not injured in the accident. Taylor was not wearing any safety devices at the time of the accident. The Can Am did not sustain any damages and was driven from the scene by the passenger.

The Salem Memorial Hospital regular board meeting was held Tuesday evening in the hospital library. Hospital Chief Executive Officer Wayne Reid gave an update on the recent surveys conducted at the hospital. The Re-certification Survey found that the board by-laws needed to be reviewed with a 30-day comment period. The CLIA Survey found four identified issues when looking for items that the hospital was in compliance with but the staff couldn’t readily access. Angela Christensen has recently been hired as the Director of Quality and Risk Management to ensure that all hospital staff are ready with proper procedures and paperwork for all future surveys. A Home Health Survey was conducted and found that the hospital needed to appoint a Pre-Designated Alternate Administrator. The board approved Kristie Gorman to fill this position. In the Summary of Operations for the month of December, hospital admissions were 119 which is double over last year’s totals. There were 11 Swingbed admissions with 186 patient census days. There were 1,462 Outpatient Registrations, 2,024 Lab Tests, 2,277 Cardiopulmonary Procedures, 1,351 Radiology Procedures, 421 Rehabilitation Treatments, 29 Surgical Procedures and 176 Home Health Visits. The Emergency Room visits totaled 685 in December. The hospital currently has $3.5 million cash on hand with an excess of expenses over revenues for December of $434,154.46 with $300,000 of this total being attributed to an error in reserve funds in the past, an increase in provider pay, increased staff costs because of a high volume of patients and having to pay staff double and triple time over the holidays. Ashley Sullins gave the Chief Nursing Officer report. There are currently two full time night nursing positions open in Med-Surg and ED and one full time nursing position in Long-Term Care. In the Human Resources update, recent hires include a new Lab Director, Director of Quality/Risk Management, and Business Development Coordinator. Interviews are currently being held for an IT Director and for the CFO position. The Hospital Foundation will be having a Cornhole Tournament on March 11th at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory, a Golf Tournament on June 2nd at the Spring Creek Golf Course, and Dancing with the Salem Stars will be held in February 2024. In Old Business, the kitchen drain proposal is being reviewed by staff. In Election Filings, originally there were three candidates for the upcoming seat currently held by Willie Strader including Strader. Two of the candidates were determined to not be in the correct district that is up for election, thereby making them ineligible to run for office, so no election will need to be held. Employee Gina White was in attendance to discuss employee insurance. She recently signed up for a dental plan and was told there would be no cost to her, but $19.88 was taken out of her paycheck and she wanted that corrected. Human Resource Director Jodie Gorman explained that the vendor had made a mistake on the online sign-up process and incorrectly stated that there would not be a charge. She will look into this and investigate how many employees are being affected. In purchases, the board approved a bid from Show Me Vinyl for $8,205.00 to wrap two ambulances. The board then went into closed session.

Mark Twain National Forest is looking for campground hosts for the 2023 season. Hosts are needed at both the Red Bluff Campground on the Potosi-Fredericktown Ranger District and the Sutton Bluff Campground on the Salem Ranger District. Campground hosting is a fun and rewarding volunteer experience that gets people outside and serving the public. Host positions generally run from April through October. Host sites include water, electric, and septic system. Use of a Forest Service golf cart may be provided to hosts as well. A stipend of up to $600 per month may be offered to cover incidentals. Host duties will include answering visitor questions, ensuring cleanliness of campsites, cleaning restrooms and showers, minor landscaping, and posting reservations. In general, a host keeps campgrounds running smoothly for visitors to enjoy. Applicants will have a background check conducted before being selected. Anyone interested in hosting at one of these campground sites should call Brett Mecker at 573-650-0758 or email him at brett.mecker@usda.gov. To learn more about these hosting opportunities, visit volunteer.gov and search for Mark Twain National Forest. Hosting at a campground can be a perfect way to meet new people, who also enjoy the outdoors, and build lasting bonds with them.